Envelop-moistener.



No. 735,051. PATENTED AUG. 4, 1903; F. G. BALLARD.

ENVELOP MOISTENER.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 30, 1903.

K0 MODEL.

Lit.

Na realest UNITED STATES latented August 4, 1968.

FRANK CALVIN BALLARD, OF HAVVARDEN, IOWA.

ENVELOP-MOISTENER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 735,051, dated August 4, 1903.

Application filed April 30, 1903. Serial No. 155,036. (No model.) i

To (all w/wm it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK CALVIN EAL LARD,a citizen of the United States,residing at Hawarden, in the county of Sioux and State of Iowa,have invented a new and useful Envelop- Moistener, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved envelop-moistener, and has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient device of this character by means of which large quantities of envelops may be quickly and readily sealed without resorting to the injurious practice of licking or moistening the flaps of the envelops with the tongue.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for opening the flaps of the envelops preparatory to moistening the same by drawing the envelop across the dampening-roller.

The invention consists in providing a liquidcontaining trough or vessel having a dampening-roller journaled therein, so as to revolve freely within the trough, the trough being provided with alongitudinally-disposed opening-flange arranged at such an angle with relation to the trough that when the operator starts to moisten the envelop the flap thereof will comein contact with said flange, opening it outwardly in a position to be easily moistened as the envelop is drawn across the dampening-roller.

The invention further consists in the con struction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in form, proprotion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an envelop-moistener constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same, and Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the liquid-containing trough detached.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a liquid-containing vessel or trough formed of metal or other suitable material, substantially semicircular in crosssection and supported at each end by legs or standards 2. Arranged within the trough and journaled in bearings 3 in the standards 2 is a dampening-roller4,formed of wood,metal, glass, or othersuitable material, the surface of which is covered with cloth, felt, or other material capable of absorbing the liquid in the trough when the roller is revolved therein. The rear Wall 5 of the trough extends some distance above the front wall thereof being provided with a longitudinally-disposed outwardly-projecting flange or lip 6, preferably extending the entire length of the trough and adapted to engage the point of the envelopfiap 7 and open the same as the envelop is drawn across the dampening-roll in the act of moistening the same.

In operation a sufficient quantity of water is poured in the trough to keep the roller moist without causing the liquid to splash when the roller is given a brisk turn. The operator grasps an envelop and reaches just far enough over and past the roller so that when he drops the envelop down on the machine and attempts to draw it toward him the flange 6vwill engage the central point of the flap and force said flap open and in position to be moistened as the same is drawn across the dampening-roll. After the flap has been moistened in this manner the envelop may be readily sealed by pressing the same flap downward on the table or other support.

By means of the flange or lip the necessity of opening the flaps by hand preparatory to moistening the same is obviated, while by having the front wall of the trough slightly lower than the rear wall thereof it permits the envelops to be easily drawn across the dampening-roller and placed in the proper position on the table or other support for sealing.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided an extremely simple and inexpensive envelop-moistener which may be readily moved from place to place as the occasion demands and bymeans of which the flaps of the envelops may be opened and moistened preparatory to sealingthe same.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

IOC

1. An envelop-moistener comprising, a liquid-containing trough or Vessel, a dampening-roller journaled within the trough and means for opening the flaps of the envelops in advance of the contact of the latter with the dampening-roller.

2. An envelop-moistener comprising, aliq mid-containing trough or vessel, 21. dampening-roller journaled within the trough and a flap-opener carried by the trough.

3. An envelop-moistener comprising, a liquid-containing trough or vessel, a dampening-roller journaled within the trough, and an outwardly-projecting flange secured to the trough and adapted to engage the flap of the envelop as the same is drawn across the dampening-roller.

47. An envelop-moistener comprising, a liquid-containing trough or vessel, supports for 20 the vessel, :1 dampening-rollerjournaled within the trough, the rear wall of the trough extending above the front wall thereof and being provided with a longitudinally-disposed opening-flange.

5. An envelop-moistenercomprising,asubstantially semicircular liquid containing trough or vessel, supports for the trough, a 

